LAHORE, March 22: The Pakistan People’s Party is optimistic that the PML-Q will not part ways with it and both former coalition partners will contest the elections together.

“The PML-Q is going nowhere and we will contest the coming elections together,” former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani said.

Talking to Dawn here on Friday, he said the PPP had good working relationship with the PML-Q and the matter of its ‘reservations’ had been blown out of proportion.

President Zardari invited Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervaiz Elahi for a dinner on Friday where they would take up the matter of the PPP’s efforts to woo their strong candidates.

Mr Gilani, who is senior vice-chairman of the PPP, said the parliamentary board of the party was interviewing candidates for national and provincial assemblies and soon would complete the process.

To a question about the launch of the party election campaign, he said unlike the PML-N, the PPP would launch the campaign after proper homwork. “The PML-N leadership launched the campaign in the constituencies of those candidates who later changed their loyalties.”

About his review petition in the Supreme Court, Mr Gilani said he had moved the court to set the record right. “I had quit when the court’s decision came against the speaker’s ruling. I am not interested in becoming MNA as I had remained longest serving premier of Pakistan,” he said.

He wished good luck to Imran Khan and PTI for their Saturday public meeting in Lahore.